The Green Party continues to welcome new party members and voters who are former supporters of Bernie Sanders, in the wake of his endorsement for Hillary Clinton on July 12.

Greens said that the need for a pro-environmental alternative party has become more urgent in light of the Democratic and Republican Parties' failure to support necessary measures in the fight against global warming. The Democrats' platform panel rejected carbon taxes, refused to ban fracking or to oppose the Trans-Pacific Partnership, and supports the give-away of public lands and water to fossil-fuel companies. Republicans are embracing greater burning of coal, a significant source of greenhouse gases.

Green Party leaders called the refusal of the Democratic and Republican parties to take effective action an irresponsible capitulation to fossil-fuel and other polluting industries. Greens said that the two corporate-money parties and their nominees have proved themselves incapable of handling the climate crisis.

Green candidates are promoting the "Green New Deal," which treats the climate crisis as both a global emergency and an opportunity to reorganize the U.S. economy in order to generate millions of new jobs in new energy technologies, conservation, public transportation, retrofitting homes and buildings, and other public projects ( http://gpus.org/organizing-tools/the-green-new-deal ).

Margaret Flowers is the Green candidate for the U.S. Senate in Maryland ( http://www.flowersforsenate.org ), as well as a physician and political activist. James Lane is a media activist and Green candidate for Public Advocate of New York City in the 2017 election ( http://www.votejameslane.org ).

Open Letter to the Climate Justice Movement from the Honorary Co-chairs of the Green Party Presidential Nominating Convention (excerpted)

The Democratic Party's "All of the Above" energy strategy is driving more fossil fuel extraction to the detriment of our communities and the planet. Recently, the White House approved 1,500 leases for fracking in the Gulf of Mexico, which still has not recovered from the BP Horizon's massive oil leak and the spraying of millions of gallons of toxic Corexit. The government is now holding auctions of public lands for oil and gas leases online because of protests.

International agreements such as the Trans-Pacific Partnership and the Trans-Atlantic Trade and Investment Partnership, which are being rammed through by the Obama Administration, will drive greater exports of oil and gas. This means more drilling, fracking, pipelines, compressor stations, etc. New goals for renewable energy and control of methane can best be described as "too little, too late." ...

The climate justice movement has realized its power by working outside of and applying pressure on the system. We believe that in this election year and going forward, it is critical that we also develop electoral power outside of the traditional system by building an alternative political party that embraces our values...

We invite you to consider the Green Party as a political home for the climate justice movement. We are grassroots activists who work on many issues of economic, racial and environmental justice and peace. We welcome your participation in leadership roles and as candidates for office. We have more than 150 candidates this year running at all levels of government.

As honorary co-chairs of the Presidential Nominating Convention, we encourage you to join us for the Annual Meeting and PNC this August 4 to 7 in Houston.

In solidarity,Margaret Flowers and James LaneHonorary Co-chairs of the 2016 Green Party Presidential Nominating Convention